Answer the following questions briefly.
(a)Who was Ali? Where did he go daily?
(b) "Ali displays qualities of love and patience". Give evidence from the story to support the statement.
(c)How do you know Ali was a familiar figure at the post office?
(d)Why did Ali give up hunting?
(e)What impression do you form of the postmaster after reading the story 'The Letter'?
(f) The postmaster says to Ali, "What a pest you are, brother!" Do you agree with the statement? Give reasons for your answer.
(g) "Ali came out very slowly, turning after every few steps to gaze at the post office. His eyes were filled with tears of helplessness, for his patience was exhausted, even though he still had faith." Why were Ali's eyes filled with tears of helplessness? What had exhausted his patience but not his faith?
(h) "Tortured by doubt and remorse, he sat down in the glow of the charcoal sigri to wait." Who is tortured by doubt and remorse? Why? What is he waiting for?
Answer the following questions briefly.
(a)Who was Ali? Where did he go daily?
(b) "Ali displays qualities of love and patience". Give evidence from the story to support the statement.
(c)How do you know Ali was a familiar figure at the post office?
(d)Why did Ali give up hunting?
(e)What impression do you form of the postmaster after reading the story 'The Letter'?
(f) The postmaster says to Ali, "What a pest you are, brother!" Do you agree with the statement? Give reasons for your answer.
(g) "Ali came out very slowly, turning after every few steps to gaze at the post office. His eyes were filled with tears of helplessness, for his patience was exhausted, even though he still had faith." Why were Ali's eyes filled with tears of helplessness? What had exhausted his patience but not his faith?
(h) "Tortured by doubt and remorse, he sat down in the glow of the charcoal sigri to wait." Who is tortured by doubt and remorse? Why? What is he waiting for?
(a) Ali was a shikari. He was a very able hunter. Even a small animal could not escape his sharp eyes. He was so obsessed with hunting that not a day would pass when he would not hunt. He would go to the post office daily.
(b) Ali loved his daughter deeply. After she got married, he missed her terribly. For the past five years, he had received no news of her. Ali went to the post office daily to get a letter from her. Even bad weather could not stop him. It was his immense love for his daughter and patience that made him go to the post office daily.
(c) Everybody in the post office knew Ali. He went there daily. He sat on the same bench everyday waiting for his name to be called. The postmen made fun of him. Even though there would be no letter for him, they would call out his name, just to see his reaction. The post office became a place of pilgrimage for Ali. Even bad weather could not deter him. He was always the first one to arrive to the post office.
(d) Ali’s only child Miriam got married and left him. After his daughter went, he felt very lonely. It was then he realized the pain young partridge felt on being separated from its parents. He no longer enjoyed the game of hunting because he could now understand the grief the parents of the hunted animal went through after getting separated from their young ones.
(e) The postmaster had a sad and dull expression. Ali’s everyday presence in the post office irritated him. One day, he even screamed at him for enquiring for his letter. It was only when he experienced the same, that is, when he anxiously awaited the news of his ill daughter that he realized the agony of Ali. Finally, when a letter for Ali did arrive, he was told that Ali was no more alive. He was filled with remorse for his attitude towards Ali. He deposited the letter on Ali’s grave as it was his last wish. The postmaster was a kind and noble man who perhaps because of his dull job, had become so hard-hearted.
(f) Ali used to go to the post office daily. He would go and sit at a particular bench everyday, waiting for his name to be called out. He would not bother anyone. On that particular day, he had come to the post office after several days as he had fallen ill. Since he had not come for many days, he enquired for his letter from the postmaster. The postmaster, who was in a hurry to leave, lost his temper on Ali and called him a pest. Ali was not at all a pest; it was just that he came after many days so he was curious to know whether a letter had come for him.
(g) Ali was getting old. He could no longer walk to the post office everyday. He had waited five years for a letter from his daughter. Everyday, he came to the post office with a hope that a letter would come for him. One day, the postmaster lost his temper on Ali when the latter enquired for his letter. Ali broke down because he was helpless, he could not do anything. The unending wait for the letter had exhausted his patience but not his belief that one day a letter would surely arrive for him although he might not be there to take it personally.
(h) The postmaster is tortured by doubt and remorse. He is filled with remorse because he failed to understand Ali’s concern about his daughter. The postmaster’s daughter was unwell and he anxiously waited for some news of her. When he saw an envelope of a shape and colour that he expected, he quickly snatched it. However, it was not addressed to him but to Ali. His disappointment at not receiving any news of his daughter made him realize the sorrow and pain of Ali who had waited for five years for some news from his daughter.
(a) Ali was a shikari. He was a very able hunter. Even a small animal could not escape his sharp eyes. He was so obsessed with hunting that not a day would pass when he would not hunt. He would go to the post office daily.
(b) Ali loved his daughter deeply. After she got married, he missed her terribly. For the past five years, he had received no news of her. Ali went to the post office daily to get a letter from her. Even bad weather could not stop him. It was his immense love for his daughter and patience that made him go to the post office daily.
(c) Everybody in the post office knew Ali. He went there daily. He sat on the same bench everyday waiting for his name to be called. The postmen made fun of him. Even though there would be no letter for him, they would call out his name, just to see his reaction. The post office became a place of pilgrimage for Ali. Even bad weather could not deter him. He was always the first one to arrive to the post office.
(d) Ali’s only child Miriam got married and left him. After his daughter went, he felt very lonely. It was then he realized the pain young partridge felt on being separated from its parents. He no longer enjoyed the game of hunting because he could now understand the grief the parents of the hunted animal went through after getting separated from their young ones.
(e) The postmaster had a sad and dull expression. Ali’s everyday presence in the post office irritated him. One day, he even screamed at him for enquiring for his letter. It was only when he experienced the same, that is, when he anxiously awaited the news of his ill daughter that he realized the agony of Ali. Finally, when a letter for Ali did arrive, he was told that Ali was no more alive. He was filled with remorse for his attitude towards Ali. He deposited the letter on Ali’s grave as it was his last wish. The postmaster was a kind and noble man who perhaps because of his dull job, had become so hard-hearted.
(f) Ali used to go to the post office daily. He would go and sit at a particular bench everyday, waiting for his name to be called out. He would not bother anyone. On that particular day, he had come to the post office after several days as he had fallen ill. Since he had not come for many days, he enquired for his letter from the postmaster. The postmaster, who was in a hurry to leave, lost his temper on Ali and called him a pest. Ali was not at all a pest; it was just that he came after many days so he was curious to know whether a letter had come for him.
(g) Ali was getting old. He could no longer walk to the post office everyday. He had waited five years for a letter from his daughter. Everyday, he came to the post office with a hope that a letter would come for him. One day, the postmaster lost his temper on Ali when the latter enquired for his letter. Ali broke down because he was helpless, he could not do anything. The unending wait for the letter had exhausted his patience but not his belief that one day a letter would surely arrive for him although he might not be there to take it personally.
(h) The postmaster is tortured by doubt and remorse. He is filled with remorse because he failed to understand Ali’s concern about his daughter. The postmaster’s daughter was unwell and he anxiously waited for some news of her. When he saw an envelope of a shape and colour that he expected, he quickly snatched it. However, it was not addressed to him but to Ali. His disappointment at not receiving any news of his daughter made him realize the sorrow and pain of Ali who had waited for five years for some news from his daughter.
